Binance will stop processing transactions involving HTX and 10 other crypto platforms from Aug. 23, citing new sanctions and regulatory restrictions. The affected services include Rapira, Aifory Pro, ABCeX, WhiteBird, NoOnecrypto INC., Tradex, Monease Ltd, BitPapa, Exnode, HTX (formerly Huobi), and EXMO.
Binance said transactions involving the listed providers may be held for compliance reviews once restrictions take effect, and wallets could face restrictions while those reviews remain in progress. Users were advised not to send assets directly or indirectly to the listed providers after the cutoff dates.
The move follows earlier Binance restrictions on Shelbit and Aban Tether Exchange from Aug. 7, and A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa and PilotFinance Ltd from Aug. 13. The Aug. 7 date coincided with U.S. Treasury sanctions against Shelbit and Aban Tether over alleged Iran-linked sanctions evasion. Treasury said IRGC-linked addresses sent more than $1 million in crypto to Shelbit addresses, while Shelbit-linked wallets transferred more than $2 million to addresses controlled by the IRGC. Aban Tether was accused of processing millions of dollars in transactions involving previously sanctioned Iranian exchanges including Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin and Ramzinex.
The Aug. 23 cutoff reflects the European Union’s 21st sanctions package adopted on July 23. EU officials said the package extended transaction restrictions to 14 crypto-related service platforms and introduced a mechanism that can be used against providers in third countries helping Russia evade sanctions. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said the measures covered more than 100 banks and crypto operators as well as more than 40 vessels connected to Russia’s shadow fleet.
HTX had already faced UK sanctions pressure after the UK government designated Huobi Global S.A. on May 26. The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation later said it considers HTX itself subject to UK financial sanctions because the exchange is owned by Huobi Global. Blockchain analytics firms have examined activity linked to the exchange: Global Ledger traced more than $7.6 billion in Russia-linked flows through HTX since 2021, while TRM Labs identified billions of dollars in direct on-chain transfers between HTX and entities later designated by the UK.
In July, TRM Labs reported that HTX repeatedly changed hot wallets and funding addresses across TRON, Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain and Solana following the UK action, some active for only a few hours. TRM global head of policy Ari Redbord said fixed screening systems could struggle to identify newly active addresses quickly. HTX rejected that interpretation, saying the wallet movements were routine security operations.
